All ramp garage



Ncv. 17, 1953 P. H. BURN ET AL ALL RAMP GARAGE Filed April 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l "NTRAFHQ ENTRANCE "B" TRAFFIC EXIT B'TRAFFm ENTRANCE ATRAFFIc n m m w L W x m u a ulltlH INV S ZZPEEI-ILOIEL gander Graham Zcflfi). Lorzmer ATTORNEY P. H. BURN ET AL Nov.- 17, 1953 ALL RAMP GARAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A"TRAFF|c ENTRANCE Filed April 13,. 1946 B TRAFFIc EXIT B"TRAFF\c ENTRANCE Nov. 17, '1953 P. H. BURN ET AL 2,659,109

ALL RAMP GARAGE Filed April 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTQRNEY an, 6'- Lorimer porating featuresof the invention;

Patented Nov. 17,1953

UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE ALL RAMP GARAGE Application April 13, 1946, Serial No. 661,964

1 Claim. 1

Our invention relates to garage buildings having a plurality of floor levels and in particular to the type of garage in which a more or less continuous series of ramps is employed for vehicular communication between floor levels and in which substantially all parking is accommodated on the ramps themselves.

In ramp-type garages of conventional construction a single system oframps is employed. Each ramp extends virtually the length of the building and may accommodate parked vehicles on both sides of the stream of traffic. Ramps slope in both directions, but the arrangement is such that in a single traverse the length of the building, the ascent is only one-half a story, that is, only one-half the distance between floor levels.

iii

Thus, a double traverse of essentially the full length of the building is necessary in order to ascend from floor to floor. Inordinate travel distances are, therefore, involved in reaching the difficulty with this limitation ismore apparent when a trailic-block or congestion develops for one reason or another.

It is accordingly'an object of our invention to provide an improved ramp-type garage wherein essentially all the parkingof vehicles is accommodated on the ramps themselves.

it is also an object to provide a ramp-type garage having a plurality of trafiic routes whereby the ability to handle traffic is notseriously impaired by local trafficstoppages or congestion.

It is another object to provide a ramp-type arage in which travel to remote parking rectangles is materially reduced over that required in conventional arrangements.

- In general, it may be'said that it is our object to provide an improved structure for self parking, which will be to a high degree self directing and which will afiord easy and rapid means of access and egress while effectively utilizing the available space.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will appear from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a generally schematic isometric view of the interrelation of ramps in a garage incor- .Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal vertical sectional view of a garage according to Fig. 1 but, showing in addition the arrangement of supporting columns for the a v Fig. 3 is a sectionalized plan view of the garage of Fig. 2 taken essentially in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectionalized elevation taken essentially in the plane 4-4 of Figs. 2 and 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary plan views in partial section showing details of the garage of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 schematically illustrates an alternative ramp arrangement.

Broadly speaking, our invention contemplates a garage in which substantially all parking is accommodated on ramps and in which such a plurality of ramp systems is provided that the total travel distance to parking rectangles is. substantially one-half that involved in conventional ramp-type garages. Also, the invention contemplates provision of cross-over connections between such ramp systems whereby alternative routes may be taken to or from parking rectangles, should local congestion of traific develop in one or more parking aisles or ramps. In the speoific forms to be described, each system of ramps includes up and down trafi'ic lanes which are intercommunicating at every floor level, and each system of ramps may utilize a separate entrance and a separate exit from and to street traflic.

Referring to the schematic diagram of Fig. 1

As indicated above, the garage layout of Fig. 1 includes two essentially independent systems of parking ramps. These are designated system A and system B. Entrance to ramp system A is made from the street level 6 at the far right-hand corner of the layout shown, and normaltrafiic routing throughout ramp system A is indicated by arrows having dotted tails. It will be noted that forcommunication between any two adjacent floor levels ramp system A provides at least two lanes of one-way trafiicone up and one down. Oblique-angle parking maybe effected on both sides of each of these lanes in a manner to be described later.

Ramp system B is essentially the same as ramp system A with the exception that, for ramps 1 all slopes are opposed 55 communicating between any two adjacent floors,

to the slopes of ramps 'ini system A. Plain arrows indicate thefiow citrat fic throughout system B, which is shown to have provision for entrance from the street level 6 at the near left-hand corner of the building-diagonally opposite from the entrance to the ramp system A. As in the case of system A, ramp system B is provided with at least two lanes of one-way traflic between any two adjacent floor levels. To make for efiicient utilization of the available width in a given garage structure, the lanes of one system of ramps interlace the lanes of the other system. For example, the down lane of ramp system B between floor levels 6 and l is intermediate the up and down lanes of ramp system A communicating between. these two ,flcor levels.

For each system of ramps there is provided at each floor level a landing communicating with all trafiic lanes which terminate at that floor level and at that end of the building. In the case of the street level 6 for ramp system A, landing 9 provides a means for selection or a route via-an up ramp to the second floor 1 at the left end of the building or for a down route toward the basement 5 at the left end of the building. A landing ii] on the second floor 'i at the left end of the building likewise communicates with all ramps terminating at that floor level and at that end of the building, so that the motorists must again select a route-on the one hand, for travel up to the third floor 8 .at the right end of the building and, on the other hand, down to the street level 5 at the right end of the building. Having reached street level at landing s, he may either make exit to the street via the near right-hand corner or take a down ramp into .the basement.

In operation, it will be apparent that travel distances to parking locations are virtually at a minimum with the arrangement shown inFig. 1. Considering .a parking space at the top landing ll of ramp system A, parking may be effected by making only two runs substantially the length of the buildingfirst, via the up ramp between landings 9 and i8 and, second, via the up ramp between landings Iii and H. Exit requires about the same relatively short travel-via the down ramp between landings H and i9, and via the down ramp between landings it and 9.

The general arrangement of traific lanes which has been described for the all-ramp garage of a Fig. 1 is shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 to lend itself particularly well to the .efi'icient utilization of interior supporting columns 12. In Fig. 2 these columns are shown to lie in essentially vertical planes defined by the mutual adjacency of a bank of ramps running upwards from left to right and of a bank of ramps running downward from left to right. Since the ramps are adjacent, each column 12 may serve to support ramps from both the described banks of ramps, without requiring individual structures for each set of ramps.

To assist in an understanding of the ramp systems shown in Fig. 2 features of the layout of Fig. 1 will be recalled. Ramp system A enters and exits on landing 9 at the street level and has communication with the landing it on the second floor (at the left end of the building) via upwardly sloping ramps in the plane of the up ramp i3. Communication with the third-floor landing II at the right-hand .end of the building is via ramps sloping upwardly between landings i and II in the plane of the up ramp I4. Inramp system A, communication from the street landing 9 to the basement level at the left-hand end of the building is via ramps in the plane of the down ramp 15. Although the cclumns l2 are shown in Fig. 2 to extend below ramp [5 to the foundations iii of the building, it is clear that there need be no excavation to accommodate the portion of columns is extending below ramp i5 and that construction costs may be thereby reduced.

Considering now in more detail the layout of parking rectangles and tra-ffic lanes for the structure of Fig. 2, reference is made to Fig. 3, which is a partially sectionalized plan view taken essentially in the plane 33 of Fig. 2. It will be apparent that this section 3-3 provides a view of ramps leading to and from the landings 9 and all? .at the street level 6. In the form shown, A trafiic enters landing 9 through portal l8 and exits through portal 19. In attempting to find "parking space on one of the up ramps of system A, motorists take their first turn right in a direction up ramp i3, which comprises a center lane for one-way traffic (indicated by centrally located dotted arrows) flanked on each side .by parking rectangles 29 at acute angles to the traffic flow. Should a motorist decide to attempt parking in the basement, he would take the second turn right to ramp l5, where parking would be efiected in one of the rectangles .21 flanking the downward stream of traflic in lane it.

It will be noted that in a plan view such as shown in Fig. 3, the angularly disposed parking rectangles 29 of lane i3 and 21 of lane 55 (adjacent to lane it) may be made closely to interfit so as to define essentially a serrated border between lanes i3 and i5. By providing adjacent ramps with serrated edges in which each serration accommodates the width of a parking rectangle, it will be clear that the available width in a garage structure may be more effectively utilized. Also, it is possible to dispose the support columns i2 at the corners of the serrations, where it is apparent that least interference with parked vehicles will occur.

The interrelation of support columns 12 and the serrations of a number of adjacent ramps may perhaps be better appreciated from the partially sectionalized view of Fig. .4, which is taken essentially in the vertical plane defined by section 4-4 of Figs. 2 and 3. Up ramp l3 and down ramp [5, which have just been described for the use of motorists enter ng the A .trainc entrance, will be recognized at the left-hand side of ,Fig. 4.

Considering in still further detail the novel structural arrangements according to our invention, reference will be made to Figs. 5 and ,6, which are enlarged fragmentary plan views taken respectively at the end and at the middle of adjacent ramps to be found within the garage building. Fig. 5 showshow a yehicie '22 in :a one-way stream of trafiic may readily turn into a parking rectangle or have ample clearance to turn into a landing for exit or for the purpose of exploring another ramp. The support columns i2 defining the serrated edges of the ramp are shown to be of customary reenforced-concrete construction, so that the entire garage structure may be monolithic.

The serrated edges flanking longitudinal sides of parking rectangles may 'be filled in as walls 23. It is preferred that these walls be relatively thin since they do not add structurally to the soundness of the building and since reduced of an adjacent lane, thus again efiecting a saving in width requirements for each ramp and for the building.

For purposes of safety we provide a barrie at the serration flanking the short end of the parking rectangles. These barriers may be in the form of heavy pipes 2t securely mounted in the support columns l2 which they span. For more effective use of the space between support columns i2 spanning the serrated edge at the end of parking rectangles, we propose to employ some of these spaces for the accommodation of power conduits 25, ventilating and heating shafts 26, and other service facilities, as will be clear.

It has been indicated that the all-ramp garage structure thus far described provides two main alternative driving routes, whereby local traflic congestion may be relieved. As a feature of the invention, we provide for further relief of congestion by again adding to the number of alternative routes. The added routes are readily provided by omitting the central supporting column ii? for each adjacent pair of ramp systems. The spaces left by omitted columns may best be viewed in the elevation of Fig. 2 and in the plan view of Fig. 3, where the omitted-column space and the barriers which would have linked ad jacent columns are indicated by dashed lines 21. The elevation of Fig. 2 shows omitted-column spaces to occur at the intersection of vertical projections of adjacent slopes, thus permitting crossovers between adjacent ramps at these locations-at a sacrifice of but four parking rectangles for each crossover.

in the crossover detail of Fig. 6, a vehicle 28 is shown utilizing the crossover 23 from, say A" traffic in aisle or ramp 30 to B traffic in aisle 3 i. It is apparent that ample clearances may be provided to effect the possibly necessary 180 turn illustrated by the dashed-arrow path being followed by vehicle 28. Since a column has been omitted to permit establishment of a crossover, we prefer to provide added strength in the adjacent columns 32, 33 so as to redistribute the load. As indicated by the cross-sections shown for columns 32, 33, the added burden may be sustained in a larger cross-section without reduction in width clearance at the crossover.

It will be clear that since adjacent ramps, such as aisles 3t and 3!, are of opposite slopes, there may be a roadway discontinuity between 001- umns 32, 33 spanning the crossover between these ramps. For the slopes presently contemplated, this discontinuity is slight and may be reduced by a local levelling of the pavement. However, if desired, all ramps may be designed with level surfaces at the crossover levels.

Thus far, consideration has been given to the special (and perhaps most frequently occurring) case in which the garage structure is erected on essentially level ground, and in this case the same floor levels obtain for corresponding, landings at opposite ends of the building. It should be understood, however, that the structural principle of our all=ramp garage permits of ready adaptability to various types of sloping terrain in which there may be differences in level between entrances and exits at either or both ends of the garage. If the prevailing slope is such as to effect a difference in level between the entrance and the exit of a given series of ramps, it is clearly not disadvantageous to provide the landings (particularly those on the street floor 6) with slopes in conformity with that of the terrain; alternatively, exit may be made from a floor level other than that of entrance, or from one of the outermost ramps on the longitudinal side of the building.

Where a difference of street level exists longitudinally of the structure, that is, between the entrance landings of ramp system Aand those of ramp system B, the structure may be readily adjusted for this difference by increasing the slope of aisles rising from one end of the building and by decreasing to a like extent the slope of aisles rising from the other end of the building; in this manner, both street landings may be made to coincide with street levels at points of entrance and of exit. Since the parking area is not constituted of the usual level floors, the modification which has just been described does not adversely affect the design of the building.

It will be appreciated that although we have described our invention with particular reference to a two-system garage, the underlying principle is adaptable to garages having 11. essentially independent systems oframps. To illustrate, Fig. 7 schematically indicates thevertical projection of an eight-floor structure in which the ramp pattern is designed for the case of n=3, that is, for the case of three systems of ramps. Taking, for example, a first system in which the ramps are shown by solid lines 35, 36, 31, 38, 39, one enters at the first or street-floor landing at the left and has the option of proceeding to the basement via ramp 35 or direct to the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh floors by successive traversal of ramps 36, 31, 38, and 39. Thus, to reach the most remote parking rectangle (presumably on the seventh floor), but four runs substantially the length of the building are required.

The other two systems of ramps are indicated respectively by dashed and by dot-dashed lines, and they clearly follow the same general pattern as has been described for ramps 35, 36, 31, 38, and 39. As in the case of the two-system layout described fo-r Figs. 1 through 6, crossovers may be provided between adjacent ramps at their levels of intersection in the vertical projection. Also, as in the case of the two-system layouts, provision for entrance to or exit from each of the plurality of ramp systems may be made at floor landings or at a point along the ramps, depending upon the nature of the terrain and other factors.

As indicated, greater numbers of ramp systems may be employed to increase the number of alternative routes, to reduce the volume of trafllc per route, and to decrease the necessary travel distance to parking spaces. To state a preferred general case involving n systems of ramps, the first system of ramps would communicate at one end of the building with the first floor level and with levels 1+an (i. e. for n=3 in Fig. 7, floors l, 4, and 1), and at the opposite end of the building with the basement and with floor levels an (floors 3 and 6, for 22:3), where a is a number in the series 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. the second system of ramps would communicate at the one end of the building with the second floor and with levels 2+an (i. e. for n=3, floors 2 and 5), and at the opposite end of the building with the. first floor level and with levels 1+an; and soon, until the nth system of ramps, which would communicate at the one end of the building with the basement and with floor levels an, and at the opp0- site end of the building with floor levels an-l (i. e. for n=3, floors 2 and 5). Thus, as compared with the conventional single-system ramp garage wherein all traflic must use landings at every floor level, the improved arrangement provides one nth the driving distances to, parking smash rectangles; "staiieri iii other woras, 1'61 a given driving distance from street level, '51 times "-the number of parking free'tangl's Wb'illd be available.

Inthe above symbolism, it will lje appi' iated that a serves to identify the n'ext level at v'vhieh the ramps 'for a partidullar traifib-routin'g 'system will reach a landing'at a partiiiulair 'fid of the building. Thus, to 'eonsider the first system of ramps (in the B-syste'm ga'ra'ge of Fig.7), at the left 'end of the building, for which the expression 1+an applies: et-thegrou'nd br loiv level 11:0 (first floorh at'the next landing leiiela'=1 '(fourth floor), at the next landing level a'= 2 (seventh floor); and so on if the "garage should have more fio'or levels than are shown.

I It will be appreciated that in transcribing the above *sym'bolism, zero or a negative result they semefiimes he obtained. For *eXe iinple, in eleases of the "nth system of rarr ips (in the myste'm garag of F g. ,at the le'fte'niio'f the bu'ilain' for which the expression *an applies: '-t' th'e 10w lev'e'l 0, and oneobteins zero a's aresiilt; "this answer will be understood to mean the first floor level below'gi'oiin'd (i. e. th'e basement, olg rzither,

the first basement *level, should there be mo're than 0113 ba'semelit l'evl) I Bl the s'ai'n'e garage, at the "right end of the building, the expression 1111 1 applies, and if a=0,t1ie ri-z-sult obtained is 1; this result will be understood to mean that the third system of the 3-roiite -'garage may tern'iinete at a landing one level b'eloiv -the b'eise- 'mer'it -1e've1 (i. e. -'at a second easement if one were to construct a "garage including a second asement. C'arrying this ia-iia1ysis dnestep fill the'r, "it will be seen that, by siib'stit'iiti'ngnegative values for 11 in [the expressions given "sibove, one may readily de'rive further 'subb'a'seflien t landing levels fcir eac'h routesystem.

in the above descriptions, ramps and aisles have been discussed as -'comprising a. siege, oneiiv'ay lane of trafiic, accommodating 'piefereilo ly two rows of parking reetang'les. it should "'be understood, however, that the inventioh a 1so' eontinpleites other arrangements, s'uh-as, "for exam plejth'e employment of two or more lanes "of traffic on a single ramp. In 'the lzitt'er *ca's'e, fon'r rews 6f 'p'a rki'ng rectangles (two foi ih'tiffit: streafn) boulii be laid out dn each "reii'rip, while the support 'coliimns could still brbvide'iiomhion support for afijaoen't banks 6f ramps aria obvieit'e the ifeeii for further bdllil'nl'l support b'etiveen'tHe twee? more lanes 'o'r me ramp.

Pi-ltI-fiii'gh preferred foifnsbf the' iii'llfitifih hnve 3 been 'iiesribed dnsidertile dtail, it should be understood that various modifications'may be mas without departure "from the invention as defined in'th'e lhim which ioll'ows.

wemma Err-"2, garage striiture, a plurality of substantially horizontell superposed landings at one side ofth'e striltnre, a-sec'ond plurality of siibst'antiaily horizontal superposed landings at the oppbsite 'sifle-of the structure 'and in substeiriti' aili thes'arn'e perms-as said first-mentioned plurality or landings, 'a 'p'air of s'p'aLe'd, parallel, inclined ramps flaw-meeting *each of said qandings as one "side'of the structure except theifippermo'st ones iir'ifiha landing ejtthe opposite side of the s'trnm tine end in the next higher mane, a "pair or spade-d, paijalllel, inclined ra'n'lps connecting "eaih o'f s'aid ia'namgs at said opposite "side except the swamps ones "with -'a landing at the opposite side of 'the-struetu'r'e ejnd in"the next higher plane, seen or said 'eifor'ementioned pairs "of Tempe bei'n'g interfitted with an op'pcbsiteiy inclined p'air, whereby each winding, with the exceptions of the lowermost and uppermost, "is provided with awpa ir 'of lanes 'for ascending tra ffic amide-pair of lanes 'for descending mine, said ramps being subs'tan'tially 'equaiily "spaced in a, horizontal direction from the ramp nekt adjacent thereto, "at leastonemarg-in of each rainp-having-a free zigzag edge -'definedby1ines meeting zit angles andprovidingzpairking spaces for vehicles, and a series ofvertiea'lposts secured to said edge at the apices of such angles.

PHILIP 'H. BURN.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM *Referenees Cited in the file or this patent "UNI-TED -STATES 'PPQTENTS 

